JOURNAL OF HUMANISTIC PSYCHIATRY
Volume 2/Issue 2
ISSN: 2325-9485
Spring 2014
Image:
Separation (1896) by Edvard Munch
Source: wikimedia commons
Editor in Chief
Fernando Espi Forcen, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago
Guest Copy Editors
Matthew Brown, D.O., M.B.A., Department of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago
Steven Dush, Graduate from University of Florida, Gainsville
Meredith Frederick, Art Teacher and Curator, High Tech High, San Diego, CA
Blake Merrian, M.B.A., M.A., Graduate from Lund University, Sweden
Editorial Board
Khalid Afzal, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago
William Breitbart, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, New York, NY
David Cline, M.D., History and Archives Committee Chair of AACAP, Minneapolis, MN
Emil Coccaro, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago
Howard Gottesman, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH
Juan Jaramillo, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, University of Tennessee, Memphis
Joshua Kellman, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago
Peter Nierman, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago
Karam Radwan, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago
Alejandro Santos Leal, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine, Chase Brexton, Columbia, MD
John Sargent, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA
Steve Smith, M.D., Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland
International Editors At Large
Giuseppe Bersani, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, University of La Sapienza di Roma, Italy
Carlos Espi Forcen, Ph.D., Department of Art History, University of Murcia, Spain
Susan Hatters Friedman, M.D., Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Joaquin Nieto Munuera, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry and Social Psychology, University of Murcia, Spain
Edward Shorter, Ph.D., Department of History, University of Toronto, Canada
Simon Wein, M.D., Pain and Palliative Care Service, Davidoff Cancer Center, Petach Tikva, Israel
Editorial Office
Linnea Duckworth, M.R.P., Department of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago
The Journal of Humanistic Psychiatry, Vol. 2/Iss.2
1
Index
Editor’s Note
- Falling In and Falling Out: Psychiatry and Romantic Love
Icons of psychiatry
- Separation by Edvard Munch
- The First Love: The “Mother”
Essays
- Cyberlove: The Gateway to my Life’s Happiness
- Kolcha Love
- Disbelief
Articles
- Neurobiology of Love
- The Trap of Romantic Love in Cinema
- The Tragic Story of Joanna the Mad
Cinema and psychiatry
- Addicted Love
- Cronenberg’s The Fly and its paralells with Kafka’s Metamorphosis
Letters to the Editor
- Re: The Genesis of Psychology
The Journal of Humanistic Psychiatry, Vol. 2/Iss.2
2
Editor’s note
Falling In and Falling Out: Psychiatry and Romantic Love
A romantic breakup involves the termination
of the relationship and usually a grief process. A
romantic breakup can carry a narcissistic injury at
different levels. During this stage, even persons with
apparent ego strengths may regress into immature
maladaptive behaviors, which involve splitting and
primitive demonization of the lost loved one.
Individuals with poor coping skills may develop a
narcissistic rage that can be directly proportional to
the degree of their narcissistic injury, implying
hateful feelings toward the loved one which
unfortunately can lead to verbal, physical or hidden
aggression toward their ex-partner.
Romantic disappointment is a common
reason for people to make the decision to see a
psychiatrist. In these clinical scenarios, due to a lack
of specific diagnostic category, patients are often
Figure: L’amour a la folie by Jean Baptiste-Carpeux (1872)
Souce; wikimedia commons
The risk of that is that patients can receive broader
Romantic love implies a strong desire to
intimate
with
another
diagnosed with adjustment or depressive disorders.
person
emotionally
and
treatment, which doesn‟t necessarily, imply specific
management of their love struggles.
physically. For many people romantic relationships are
As clinicians, we should make an effort to
a crucial element in the fulfillment of their lives.
stay mindful and explore when the symptoms of our
Commonly, when not involved in a romantic
patients are more directly related to romantic
relationship, humans experience feelings of loneliness
disappointment. In that case we can then help them
and desolation. Often, after finding a partner, a
shift away from splitting and other maladaptive
romantic idealization takes place anticipated by the
behaviors and encourage healthier defenses during
extent of the individual‟s own narcissistic needs. As
their grieving processes. This way, we will ultimately
the relationship progresses, a healthy partnership will
help them develop healthier relationships in their
gradually shift to a more realistic mature relationship
future romantic lives.
strengthened by superego related values such as
loyalty, companionship, friendship and so on.
Fernando Espi Forcen, M.D
3
Icons of Psychiatry
Separation by Edvard Munch
Karam Radwan, M.D., F.A.P.A., Department of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago
parting from his love; the end of the story began
in his painting of The Kiss. Separation in
“Separation” is without hope. The painting is a
representation of both past and present of
human experience of separation from one’s
love. The past and the external world are
painted “incarnated” in the background of the
painting. Out of the disturbing mood and
melancholy of the separation ”the flower of
Fig. Separation by Edvard Munch, The Munch Museum,
Oslo, Norway
pain” grows beside the man’s leg. The girl’s
hair is a continuation of the earth. Her face is
erased by Munch’ s pain. She is earth and air,
Separation
is
one
of
the
most
and the curves of her figure are that of the
significant life events that we all witness. From
water,
birth, we experience our first separation from
Although they go their separate ways, he is still
the maternal womb. A few years later, we
caught up in their relationship, symbolized by
experience another significant milestone; a
the woman’s long hair that still holds his heart
separation of babies and toddlers from their
in a tight grip. The woman’s hair like tentacles
caregivers, children feel and show true anxiety
is a symbolism we find in many of Munch’s
and be upset at the prospect – or reality – of
paintings that embody the relationship between
being separated from a parent, from the person
the two sexes, including Jealousy, Vampire and
who protected them and cared for their early
Towards the Forest.
needs. As Khalil Gibran said “Ever has it been
that love knows not its own depth until the hour
of separation”. It is the moment when we feel
the strong attachment to our loved ones, toward
a place that we long for and most profoundly
toward our romantic relationship and our strong
ties with our family, children and friends.
representing
all
elements
of
life.
The death of his older sister Johanne
Sophie (1862 - 1877) from tuberculosis at the
age of 15 year old has transformed Munch and
made him revisit this deeply traumatic event
again and again in his art, over six completed oil
paintings and many studies in various media.
Munch said, “I don’t believe in art that has not
Pain, loss and separation are inevitable
forced its way out because of an individual’s
emotions on the path of love, and the only way
urge to open his heart. All art, literature as well
of avoiding them is by deciding not to take that
as music, must be produced with one’s own life-
path at all. Munch illustrates the man's sorrow at
blood. Art is one’s life-blood.”
4
The First Love: The “Mother”
Fernando Espi Forcen, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago
highly influenced by Caravaggio‟s tenebrism.
His engravings became popular all over Europe.
One of his later pieces was “The Bearded
Woman from Abbruzzi,” the painting portraits
Magdalena Ventura together with her husband
and newborn baby. By the time the painting was
done, Magdalena had three grown children and
was fifty-two years old. The baby and the young
looking breast contrast with the face and thick
beard adding a dramatic tone. A Latin
inscription in the painting suggests this case is a
wonder of nature.
Magdalena likely suffered hirsutism, a
medical sign characterized by excessive malepattern hair growth in women. Hirsutim appears
in several medical conditions such as polycystic
ovarian
syndrome,
hyperplasia,
Figure: The Bearded Woman from Abbruzzi by
ovarian
congenital
tumors
adrenal
and
some
medications.
Jose Ribera Source: oceansbridge.com
From a psychoanalytic perspective
Ribera‟s Bearded Woman could be seen as a
Jose de Ribera (1591-1652) was a
Spanish painter during the Baroque period. He
was born in the town of Jativa (Valencia, Spain)
and moved to Italy during his adolescence.
Then he finally settled in Naples where he
created most of his artwork. Due to his short
stature and the fact that he signed his paintings
as Jusepe Ribera, “El Español”, he was
nicknamed in Italy “Lo Spagnoleto” (The Little
Spaniard). At the beginning of his career he was
depiction of Kleinian psychology. Melanie
Klein
(1882-1960)
psychoanalyst
development
who
of
was
an
contributed
object
relations
Austrian
to
the
theory.
According to this theory individuals social
behavior is strongly influence by their inner
mental representation of the objects (people)
they encounter at an early state of development.
The most important objects are usually the
father and the mother. Depending of the positive
5
or negative impact, they will be perceived by
more our theory of a Kleinian psychology
the baby as “good” or “bad” objects. According
depiction in Ribera‟s bearded woman. While
to Klein during the first 6 months of
traditional object-relation theorists emphasize
development, the baby won‟t be able to identify
the importance of the mother at this stage of
the caretaker as a whole object, instead the baby
development, Fonagy and other more recent
identifies only parts of the objects such as a “the
authors use “the mother” in less strict sense of
breast.” In that case, the baby will only be able
the word, therefore, “good-mothering” can be
to make a distinction between a “good breast”
carried by the mother, the father, the nanny or
and a “bad breast” rather than a “good mother”
any other caretaker.
or a “bad mother.” This stage of development is
called the “paranoid-schizoid position.” During
this stage, the baby has paranoid anxiety toward
possible bad objects and splitting between
“good” and “bad” will be the major defense. A
failure to cope in this stage may result in
maladaptive splitting behaviors in adult life
contributing in part to the alterations in
personality structure, for example borderline
personality disorder.
Ribera‟s Bearded Woman shows a
representation of a comforted baby calmly being
nourished by a healthy breast. In this case,
Figure: In this detail of Ribera’s painting, we can
Ribera‟s bearded woman would be a depiction
see a baby pleasantly introjecting a good breast
of a “good part-object” during the paranoid-
during the paranoid-schizoid position of
schizoid position of Kleinian development. On
development
the contrast, we see an older looking bearded
Source: fundacionmedinaceli.org
woman and her husband, which reinforces even
6
Essays
Cyber Love: The Gateway to my Life’s Happiness
Melissa G. Andrianov, M.D., Department of Pediatrics, The University of Chicago
With the advent of the internet, came
new avenues of communication and ultimately
Could a couple of free dinners really be that
bad?
was born the concept of “cyber love” and
“online dating.” In its infancy, it was limited to
chat rooms, instant messaging, and emailing,
largely populated, according to the media, by
pedophiles and teenage girls. But with time,
technology and the explosion of social media,
online dating has become increasingly socially
acceptable and popular. Not only because less
and less of the relationships are online, behind
computer screens, and between individuals that
have never and may never meet, but rather,
because finding love online has become a multi
billion dollar industry. According to a recent
statistic, 1 in 5 relationships start online.
Which sounds promising given that 50% of all
After signing up for the site, I created a
profile with the help of a friend and gave myself
the screen name Shopgirl, like Meg Ryan in the
ever popular 90‟s flick “you‟ve got mail.”
Suddenly, this “dating site” became a part time
job. Every evening it was my duty, between
reading Robbins Guide to Pathology and
reviewing the lectures from the day, to spend a
few hours emailing potential candidates and
responding to messages that I had received.
Initially, within hours of signing up, my inbox
was flooded with unsolicited messages from
“older” men living in far away places like Boca
and New Jersey, well outside of my requested
search criteria. But, in lieu of attracting bad
marriages ultimately end in divorce.
Karma, I painstaking responded to each
Five years ago, as a busy medical
solicitor, thanked him for his interest, and
student, I wasn‟t having much success finding
wished him well.
love the organic way. At that time, my mother
scanned the thousands of profiles for any man
suggested I join an online dating site.
I
that caught my eye- like an all you can eat
immediately told her “N-O. Only ugly weird
buffet of available bachelors. Within a day, I
people are on there and I will not do it.” Why
had my generic email down: “Dear _____, I
one might ask was I so opposed? I was caught
noticed you like to ___ I have/have never/ love
up in the “what other people might think”
to _____. I look forward to hearing from you
mindset, and I didn‟t want to meet a creep or
soon to chat more about this. ~Shopgirl”
more importantly, be judged by my peers for
“online dating.” Following a little prompting, I
acquiesced, after all, what did I have to lose?
Simultaneously, I also
Some responded, some didn‟t, which
didn‟t bother me as I could hardly keep with the
correspondence up as it was. Interestingly,
7
statistics show that more than 90% of the
tonight and this is the man I am going to
profiles on traditional dating website are
marry.” Our courtship was a whirlwind and
inactive. So I didn‟t judge my success my the
there was nothing “online” about our dating. He
number of responses, rather, the quality. By the
called the next day as promised, we saw each
end of the second week, I had gone on 3 dates,
other 4 times the first week and countless
one was a marathon date that ended awkwardly,
number of times after that. 2 short years and 2
and we never spoke again. The second, turned
days later, we were engaged, about 1 year after
out to be the ironman-running-vegan-older
that married, and less than 2 years after that,
brother of a friend I knew from childhood who,
new parents.
needless to say, required a rescue call to end the
date early. Last but not least was my third and
final date with a man who is now my husband
and father of my first child. We exchanged 2
emails each, he called me to arrange a date,
location, and time for a dinner date, and we met
at the restaurant. As soon as I walked in, I was
pleasantly surprised by how handsome he was
in person- his pictures and phone voice had
done him no justice- and by the end of the date,
called my cousin and said “I met someone
I often joke that my husband is the best
thing I ever bought on the internet, and his
response is always that I am the most
expensive. Needless to say, without “cyber
love,” none of “life” as I know it would be
possible. So, to all those single ladies and
gentleman out there, I say, throw away your
pride and put on your typing shoes because
finding a mate is like applying for a job, you
have to anticipate a lot of dead ends before you
find the golden ticket.
Kolcha Love
Sharon E. Staine, M.S., J.P., Department of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago
Kolcha is the Creole (Kriol) spelling for Culture
The song “Love is a Many Splendored
amazing birds, fauna and flora.
Its largest
Thing” could not be closer to the truth when it
island (Ambergis Caye) was awarded by Trip
comes to Belize. Love can be played out in
Advisor the Traveler‟s Choice Award for The
many ways and Belize is no exception.
Best Island In The World – 2014, tell me what‟s
Nicknamed “Mother Nature‟s best kept secret,”
not to love?
Belize is fast becoming one of the most loved
countries in the world. It exudes the essence of
beauty -- from its land, which features the
rainforest, the Maya ruins, numerous waterfalls
and caves, to its waters, which encompass the
second largest barrier reef in the world, the Blue
Hole (second to none) and its more than 200
beautiful cayes that are natural habitats to
Similarly, the people of Belize are
some of the most fun-loving you will encounter.
A melting pot of ethnic groups, Belize is
synonymous with none when it comes to
showing love. We are warm and welcoming -hugging is a casual gesture.
To indicate how
loving Belizeans can be, in 1926 Henry Edward
8
Ernest Victor Bliss (Baron Bliss) arrived in
Makoabi (man) or Miskoabi (woman) is said to
Belize after visiting Bahamas, Trinidad and
be the first stage of love sickness.
Jamaica.
situation worsens, people are said to suffer from
He spent most of his time sailing,
or
krisisisilo
(the
worst
As the
exploring the coastline and fishing. Of course,
kabanka
form).
he fell in love with the waters; however, it was
However, like most things, Belizeans believe in
the loving nature of the local fishermen offering
finding the remedy for any/all bad situations.
him food and companionship that would
Their love remedy: drinking Kenel (canal) water
enthralled him most of all. At the time of his
and eating pepitos (pumpkin seeds). The only
death, Baron Bliss had never set foot on the
problem is – there‟s no telling how much or
mainland; nonetheless, he left nearly two
how long you‟ll be drinking or eating.
million dollars to Belize as a testament of his
Figure. A Love connection: Belizean shares love-
love for the country and its people.
sickness remedy (pepitos) with Spaniard
Unfortunately, love is not that simple!
It is rather complex with many meanings and
temperament.
It exhibits so many different
emotions and can be devastating in relationships
gone wrong. With love, the psyche comes into
play when emotions and passions are factors. It
can quickly turn to sorrow, to hate and, even
worse, to tragedy -- playing like an opera -from a smile, a hug, a kiss on the cheeks and
eventually death. In Belize, however, we are
passionate people with a twist. Kriol cultural
traditions
have
labeled
the
suffering
of
emotional love in various stages depending on
how deeply afflicted you are with a person.
Kriol taak: Poa joa mi ga bad makoabi wen di gyal lef ahn (Poor Joe became so love-sick when his girlfriend left him)
Disbelief
K. E. Frederick
Writing about love. I could write about
my unbelievably thoughtful and doting husband.
being pregnant for the first time. First child.
First four months of motherhood.
I could write about my unconditionally loving
When I first found out I was pregnant, I
father for whom I am still a six year old
began noticing the numerous pregnant women
princess. I could write about my free spirited
walking around. It seemed to be a city of
sister who accepts me absolutely. I could write
expecting women. Pleasantly plump ladies with
about my obsession, perhaps addiction, of
the healthy hair bouncing off their shoulders and
chocolate. Or obviously, I could write about
shining smiling faces, brimming with joy and
9
the new life developing within them. All of
keep thinking how much the food sitting in front
these beauties wearing cute exercise outfits or
of me gives me a visceral urge to run or fight,
flowy dresses that just so snuggly and perfectly
either would work. How I hate entertaining at
hug the cradle of their stomachs.
parties. And what if I don‟t want to celebrate?
When women talk of pregnancy their
What if I don‟t want to have hundreds of people
eyes become ever so slightly hazy as they
surround me while I try to stay awake and feed
exhale and recall the beautiful experience.
every two hours, or change dirty diapers every
Families laugh and smile knowingly when the
hour. What if I don‟t like being a mother? What
possibility of babies is brought up. Everyone
if I‟m a terrible mother?
coos when a stroller is pushed into the room.
I love my new boobs. I hate the
But no one talks about the months were you
widening hips or rising scale. I love eating
don‟t feel anything. The popular book, “What to
chocolate milkshakes whenever I get the urge
Expect When You‟re Expecting” refers to this
(because anything is better than no food, right?).
emotion as “disbelief.” It is under one of the
I hate the waves of tears and sobs that
categories of what you might “feel” that week.
accompany a deep rooted fear of longing for
It‟s more than disbelief. It‟s the absence of
what once was. I do love pancakes for dinner.
feeling.
But I am not myself. And I hate it. I don‟t feel
In the first few months, I have not
awake or energetic or lively like I used to.
lovingly stroked my stomach or held my belly,
Perhaps I will feel differently when I am further
daydreaming of the little life inside of me. I
along. I have no doubt I will love the baby more
have
incredible little
than I can imagine. And I will look back this
independent life it will one day have. Instead, I
rant and feel a tremendous guilt for ever
have dreaded waking up because that meant a
permanently admitting this lack of love on
new bout of nausea. I have tried breathing
paper. But for now, it needs to be said. This is
through my mouth to avoid smelling anything
not love at first sight. Love does not come
that might make my stomach turn and have me
immediately when you learn of the potential life
running to the nearest toilet. I don‟t feel love
you are supporting. We need time to grow on
towards my changing body. I don‟t anxiously
each other. We need to be introduced to each
await the day it will be born, because right now,
other‟s personalities (and one of us needs to
I am hoping the strange cramps on my sides
develop a personality). But as I write this, there
won‟t prevent me from standing up out of my
is a shift happening in my lower abdomen.
chair. My eyes have dark circles of stress that
Perhaps it is the little one kicking me for cursing
seem to echo days and nights of hiding under
this process and speaking too quickly before
the covers hoping to feel better if I sleep for one
giving it a chance. Perhaps it is right. Perhaps I
more hour.
am only a selfish, privileged woman who has
not considered the
My in-laws speak gleefully about how
the luxury to lament and ponder on the minute
excited they are and how they love the little life
details of pregnancy. Perhaps I have the luxury
growing inside of me with all of their hearts.
to question love and instead I should just keep
They talk of all the parties and celebrations we
quiet and wait for this “disbelief” to pass.
will have to celebrate the new addition. And I
10
Articles
Neurobiology of Love
Fernando Aleman Guillen, Ph.D., Division of Biological Science, University California San Diego
Romantic love: a universal, deep, and
increase in dopamine levels in this area), and it
complicated feeling that men and woman have
can also be modulated by cortical areas like the
been experiencing throughout history. This
anterior cingulate cortex (which also appears to
complex emotion is defined as the display of
have a role in rational cognitive functions, such
strong affection towards another person and has
as empathy, impulse control, and emotion).
been defined as a fast-paced ecstasy that
According to Dr. Helen Fisher from
provides moments of passionate happiness,
Rutgers University, one of the leading scientists
euphoria and satisfaction.
in this field, the first stage of love is driven by
Relationships
based
on
love
are
lust. Fascination and infatuation are at the root
extremely important in a healthy social life, and
of this stage. “To inspire with a foolish or
love, as an essential human impulse, drives
extravagant love or admiration” is one of the
people to find a partner rooted in our primitive
definitions of infatuation. It is easy to mistake
instincts, without which perpetuation would
infatuation for committed love but it is only a
cease to exist. It has even been considered „The
strong attraction to another person. This period
most powerful human motivation‟, despite the
is led by the sex hormones testosterone and
emphasis usually given to the great impact war
estrogens in both men and women. The more
has on our society.
testosterone, the more libido, and a study found
that men with high levels of testosterone are less
This feeling has for centuries been
falsely tied to the heart, when in reality is
nurtured by the only organ capable of such
control- our brain. It is a complex response led
by neurotransmitters and important brain reward
systems.
prone to getting married and have higher
chances of getting divorced once married.
Women‟s testosterone peaks during ovulation,
this
effect
also
correlates
with
species
conservation since is the most fertile period for
women.
Many parts of the brain are activated
when we fall in love, however, there are key
areas. The reward system is mainly based on the
dopamine in the accumbens nucleus (site of
action of highly-addictive drugs such as cocaine
After the lust period, the romantic love
stage, or romance stage, is driven by different
chemicals
but
mainly
dopamine.
This
neurotransmitter produces euphoria, increased
energy, less need for sleep and food, and has
and amphetamine, which indeed cause an
11
also been postulated as designed to „deliver
pleasure‟.
In
fact,
it
activates
It has been proposed that the stage of
the
romantic love can last a maximum of 3 years.
aforementioned reward centers of the brain and
Then the amount of dopamine receptors starts to
amplifies the effects of sex hormones when the
drop, hence the activity of the neurotransmitter
two molecules are released simultaneously.
is decreased. Serotonin levels might also return
to normal.
Other chemicals related to stress and excitement
are elevated as well, such as cortisol and
When romantic love decreases, another
norepinephrine (also known as noradrenaline).
type of love arises. This stage is called
The effects of the norepinephrine can include
attachment, and is characterized by emotional
sweaty palms, a pounding heart, hyperactivity,
states like security, peace, union and calm,
insomnia, lack of appetite, anxiety and fear.
which
Knowing
and
relationships. Scientists think there might be
norepinephrine on appetite makes me remember
two major hormones involved in this feeling of
the first time I couldn‟t finish my dish of pasta;
attachment along with endorphins; oxytocin and
my father asked me right away „are you in
vasopressin (both small molecules made of 9
love?‟ I might have blushed.
aminoacids). During orgasm, vasopressin levels
the
effects
of
dopamine
are
usual
feelings
in
long-term
increase in men and oxytocin levels in women.
On the other hand, a neurotransmitter
called serotonin is low in early romantic love.
Low serotonin levels are found in the Obsessive
Compulsive
Disorder
(OCD),
and
this
pathology is usually treated with selective
serotonin
reuptake
inhibitors
(SSRI).
These
chemicals
deepen
the
feelings
of
attachment and makes couples feel much closer
to one another after they have had sex. Since
the theory goes that the more sex a couple has,
the deeper their bond becomes, just enjoy!
A
prominent feature of the romantic love stage is
Not only sex, but cuddling and hugging
the obsessive thinking about the beloved one,
stimulate the release of oxytocin, thereby
and lovers spend a considerable amount of time
strengthening the relationship. The functions of
thinking about the significant other. The result
oxytocin are numerous, but specifically social-
is an obsessive pursuit of the desired person, a
effective: high levels facilitate social behaviors
relentless optimism, and even some kind of
(it has been called „social glue‟); it seems to
addiction. To confirm this hypothesis, a
reinforce the strong bond between mother and
transporter of serotonin was analyzed in 60
baby and is released during childbirth. It is also
individuals. 20 subjects deeply in love, 20
responsible for the production and releasing of
patients with OCD and 20 random controls. The
milk in nursing mothers. Furthermore, a study
results showed similar low amounts of the
found that people trust strangers to a larger
serotonin transporter in the patients with OCD
degree when they have extra oxytocin.
and the subjects in love, while the controls had
normal levels. Thus, serotonin can partially
The potential role of vasopressin in
explain the obsessive thinking present in the
long-term relationships was discovered when
early stages of romantic love.
scientists looked at the prairie vole. Prairie voles
(mouse-like rodents) indulge in far more sex
12
than is strictly necessary for the purposes of
- None of this, however, explains those enviable
reproduction. Like humans, they also form
couples who walk hand in hand together
fairly stable pair-bonds. When male prairie
through their entire lives into the twilight of
voles were given a drug that suppresses the
their years. It's also important to remember just
effect of vasopressin, the bond with their partner
how complicated the topic of human affection
deteriorated immediately as they lost their
is. Our culture, our education, and the people
devotion and failed to protect their partner from
surrounding us during our lives help to change
new suitors. In humans, the vasopressin receptor
those chemicals and networks. It is not and it
AVPR1A has been linked to pair-bonding
won‟t be just a genetic test to check the copies
behavior. In men, one particular variation of this
of the vasopressin receptor or the brain
gene, called allele 334, was associated with
hormonal levels. There is hope for everybody.
lower scores on partner bonding and greater
Peace and much love.
odds of marital conflict.
References
Final remarks
Reward AA. Motivation and emotion systems
- The process of 'falling in love' is not some
abstract, coincidental occurrence. Instead, it's
associated with early-stage intense romantic
love. J Neurophysiol 2005; 94: 327-337.
more accurately described as a gradual chemical
change in a person's body. No matter what you
Fisher H. Romantic love: a mammalian brain
have heard, you don't love anyone with all of
system for mate choice. Phil Trans R Soc B
your heart. You love from the depths of your
2006; 361: 2173-2186.
ventral tegmental area, your nucleus accumbens,
and other vital areas of the brain.
Zeki
S.
The neurobiology of love.
FEBS
Letters 2007; 581: 2575-2579.
- Remember that oxytocin gets released with
physical contact, especially when it's sexual, so
frequent physical contact, both sexual and non-
Booth A. Testosterone and men‟s marriages.
Social Forces 1993; 72 (2): 463-477.
sexual is an important element of love in a
Marazziti D. Alteration of the platelet serotonin
relationship.
transporter in romantic love. Psychological
- Love is a drug potentially more potent and
Medicine 1999; 29: 741-745.
addictive than cocaine. Therefore, not seeing a
Beauregard
partner for a while can lead to feelings of
unconditional love.
withdrawal and depression. Thus, people „in
Neuroimaging 2009; 172: 93-98.
M.
The
neural basis of
Psychiatry Research.
love‟ are in a chemically altered, but ultimately
preferable,
state
that
becomes
quickly
associated with the presence, and the ideal
projection, of their loved one.
A. de Boer,E.M. van Buel,G.J. Ter Horst, Love
is more than just a kiss: a neurobiological
perspective on love and affection. Neuroscience
2012; 201, 114-124.
13
Kross E, Berman MG, Mischel W, Smith EE,
Walum H, Westberg L, Henningsson S,
Wager
shares
Neiderhiser JM, Reiss D, Igl W, et al. Genetic
somatosensory representations with physical
variation in the vasopressin receptor 1a gene
pain. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2011; 108:6270-
(AVPR1A)
6275.
behavior in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA
TD.
Social
rejection
associates
with
pair-bonding
2008; 105:14153–14156.
Helen E Fisher, A Aron, D Mashek, H Li, LL
Brown. Defining the brain systems of lust,
romantic attraction and attachment. Archieves
of Sexual Behavior, 2002; 5: 314-9
TED conference of Dr. Helen Fisher: The brain
in love
http://www.ted.com/talks/helen_fisher_studies_t
he_brain_in_loveb
THE BRAIN IN LOVE
14
The Trap of Romantic Love in Cinema
Sergio Espi Rubio, Scriptwriter and Journalist, El Periodista Digital, Madrid, Spain
A boy and a girl meet in a bar. They
conscious
manipulation
to
maximize
its
like each other. They kiss each other and meet
marketability. Is there a better way of marketing
again the following day, and the following one
something than by using the universal language
and the following one until they finally become
of love? No script would work if there are no
boyfriend and girlfriend. After six months they
feelings involved.
move in together. They introduce each other‟s
families and after two years, they get married.
She hates some of his habits and he hates her
hermeticism. The relationship has ups and
downs but soon they have children. They bring
them up and take care of them until they leave
the house. Is this story worthy of top box office
film? Most likely not. Why? Because it violates
the basic rule of the cinematographic script:
There is no conflict.
Let‟s give an example: Titanic (James
Cameron, 1998) has the second top grossing
box office revenues in the history of cinema,
however, it has one of the most torpid scripts
ever seen. In the plot, a dapper and poor young
painter falls in love with a beautiful girl from
high society. From there, all the topics in
romantic cinema meet: Class struggles, a
castrative mother, an evil and jelous man, tacky
sequences and a final sacrifice. And though the
Instead, what would happen if the boy
argument is basic, we understand that it could
was a rich heir promissed to another girl and she
not have been different. Why? Because when
was just a poor employee? What if there were
someone spends more than two hundred million
religious, political or racial conflicts placing
dollars in making a movie, it is logical that they
obstacles in the way of the love of the couple?
attempt to reach the widest possible audience.
What if she had a terminal illness that she
discloses to her boyfriend only when it is too
late? What if he was from a different planet and
she was merely human being?
The narrative models in romantic films:
Cinema, like any other narrative art,
does not neccesarily reflect real life. It is
actually a reinterpretation of reality with the
purpose of communicating a message. Cinema
is an industry, and thus, its goal is to generate
revenue. As a result, there will always be a
15
Figure: The bohemian painter from low socioeconomic
kids after they kissed in the end of the film?
class also knows perfectly how to behave in high society
Most likely not. Usually, in these scenarios the
(Titanic, James Cameron, 1998). Source: wordpress.com
character of the viewer is tested: Are you a
dreamer or a cynicist? Are you optimistic or
pessimistic?
In some films, the type of romantic
love shown starts from the adolescent needs of
transcendence, the need of feeling that they are
special and that their lives could be nicer and
more exciting than they actually are. These
kinds of feelings promote evasion, which in turn
sustains the cinema.
Due to its status of being a massive
Figure: Who believes that the millionaire and the
prostitute of Pretty Woman will marry and have
children? (Garry Marshall, 1990)
method of communication, cinematographic art
Source: filmequals.com
creates and mantains societal models of
conduct. As a result, it would be of interest here
to make a critique on the behaviors imposed by
Films that promote romantic prototypes
are many. From classics well reviewed by the
critics (“Love Story,” “Wuthering Heights,”
the cinema about romantic relationships.
“Bringing up Baby,” “Romeo and Juliet…” ) to
In regards to romantic affect, films are
cheap and easy to consume products. Perhaps
fed by myths originated in oral traditions such
one of the most important recent examples of
as the Bible, the Greek culture and the Medieval
this kind of story is the “Twilight” saga.
culture. These, are normally centered on the
idea of the “better half,” the fate and the eternal,
The “Twilight” saga and the role of the
woman in romantic love:
exclusive, unconditional love.
Based of the book series by Stephenie
The trick of the happy ending:
Meyer, the saga made more than two billion
In addition to the above comments, we
dollars worldwide. As if consisting of an
must be aware that romantic movies always
adolescent review of “Dracula” by Bram Stoker,
leave the story unfinished. Either one of the
the films narrate the story of Bella, a shy,
characters dies, which contributes to the idea of
hostile and torpid high school student who
eternal love, or the couple ends up more bonded
moves with her father to a small town called
than ever. This is the point in which we fall into
Forks. There, she meets Edward Cullen, an
the trick of the happy ending. Who says that
adolescent vampire who represents the trope of
these two characters will stay together loving
the “ideal” man: good looking, faithful, polite,
each other for eternity with the same intensity?
rich and dedicated. In addition, Jacob, a dapper
Does anyone believe, for example, that the
wolf-man, also falls for Bella serving as
prostitute and the
“Pretty
counterpoint to the story. Jacob is the “bad boy”
Woman” were going to get married and have
who is unable to control his impulses but has a
millionaire of
16
good heart. The funny thing is that we do not
her in the forest. Later, she becomes a servant
even get to know why everyone falls for Bella.
for seven dwarfs and finally when she falls in a
What makes this character so “special”? The
deep sleep after biting a wicked apple (referring
only fact that men love her.
to the original sin in the Bible) she is rescued by
the kiss of a prince. But, how does Snow White
One of the most present archetypes in
the Twilight saga is that the woman is valued
feel? Which virtues make her so special? They
don‟t know or they are not interested.
only by the values that the man who choses her
represents. It is congruent with the phantasy that
a woman can change a man and that a man
could pick any woman, for some reason he
would chose only one. Love in this setting is not
the result of a conscious decision but a sexual
urge that goes beyond one‟s will. The question
is more based in the desired object (being loved)
than the subject (the one who loves). The main
character Bella, is rescued physically and
emotionally by a vampire and only when she
becomes a mother (in the last film of the saga),
Fig.: We never get to understand which virtues make
Snow White so special. Walt Dysney, 1937. Source:
fangirlsarewe.com
she becomes a more active and capable person.
Would the Twilight saga have been as
succesful if the helpless human had been a man
and the powerful immortal being a woman?
Probably not. For centuries we have been
listening the same stories and for better or
worse, cinema perpetuates them. These kind of
beliefs can lead to a general feeling of
frustration.
A film becomes successful when it
balances the same dose of identification and
evasion. Romantic films, as well as all narrative
Figure: Bella only abandons her passive role after
arts, tend to be aspirational. The audience can
becoming pregnant. Source: nocookie.net
dream and expect to go through the same
The sexist myth of the passive woman
who is rescued by a man is not new. Children‟s
literature is full of similar examples. For
instance, in the traditional tale “Snow White,” a
princess flees and does everything men ask her
to do. First, the hunter pities her and abandones
emotions and conflicts, and hope that their lives
will become as transcendental as in the cinema.
But, let‟s go back for a second to the couple
discussed at the begining of this paper: The boy
and the girl meet at a bar and face an
“extraordinary-ordinary” life together. He is not
a vampire, nor a millionaire with difficulties
17
creating obstacles to marry the woman he loves,
unexpected turns, nor signs of fate, nor is their
he is not a bohemian painter struggling with
heroic love is tested. There are conflicts, but
socieconomic classes. She is not a damsel in
they are more common, more real, and
trouble that needs to be rescued. There are not
subsequently less cinematographic.
.
References:
Psicoanálisis de los cuentos de hadas de Bruno Bettelheim.
El arte de amar, de Erich Fromm
El triángulo del amor, de Robert J. Sternberg.
El viaje del escritor de Christopher Vogler
El guion, de Robert McKee
Los mitos griegos, Volumen I y II. Robert Graves.
Hombres y mujeres ¿Un amor imposible? de Marina Subirats y Manuel Castells
Teorías del cine: Una introducción, de Robert Stam
Como convertir un buen guión en un guión excelente, de Linda Seger
Cómo crear personajes inolvidables, de Linda Seger
18
The Tragic Story of Joanna the Mad
Fernando Espi Forcen, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago
Joanna (1479-1555) nicknamed “The Mad” (In Spanish Juana la Loca), was the daughter of the
Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. The monarchs union, along with the
conquest of Granada in 1492, contributed to the formation of Spain as it is known today. During her
adolescence, Joanna was a good-looking and avid student who mastered the major Iberian peninsula
(Castilian, Catalan and Galaico-Portuguese) romance languages, as well as French and Latin.
In 1496, at the age of 16, Joanna married Philip The
Handsome, Duke of Burgundy and moved to Flanders to live with
him. There, she had three children. One of them was Charles, who
would later become the first Spanish Emperor. While she was still in
Flanders, Joanna‟s elder brothers and sister passed away and the
Cortes of Castile recognized her as the heiress of the throne. (1)
In 1504, Isabella became sick with a fever and Joanna went
back to Castile to visit her. At that time, Joanna was eating and
sleeping very little. An altercation happened between her and her
mother. After that, Joanna planned to leave Castile and return to her
husband. At that time, a return to Flanders through France was very
dangerous since Castile was at war with France. Despite this, Joanna
Figure: The Catholic Monarchs with
insisted she was going, claiming that Castile was at war but she
their
wasn‟t. To prevent her reckless plans, her travelling companion
Miniature at Rimado on the conquest
Bishop Fonseca took the horses back to the stable. Joanna reacted by
of Granada by Pedro Marcuello. XVI
yelling and shaking the bars of the stable. She remained up all night,
daughter
infanta
Joanna.
century. Source: wimimedia.org
contributing to the drama by refusing blankets or any kind of
comfort. (2)
After her mother‟s death, Joanna became the Queen regnant of Spain, a battle for the Castilian
throne began and Joanna‟s father Ferdinand made an attempt to mint coins under his name and Joanna‟s.
Her husband Philip, in an attempt to become the King of Castile, also minted coins under his name and
Joanna´s. (3) During this time, in response to accusations throughout the empire that she was insane,
Joanna wrote a letter to Señor Vere denying insanity, stating that she simply had jealousy issues that she
believed she had probably inherited from her mother. (4) The succession battle for the throne ended with
Ferdinand abandoning his interest in reigning Castile, leaving such ambitions and responsibility to his
“beloved children.” Some time after that, Philip and Ferdinand signed an agreement asserting that Joanna
was mentally incapable to rule Castile and should be replaced. Philip became the King regnant but would
19
die only a few months later from a fever. It is recorded
that Joanna took care of her husband religiously during
his final days. (2)
After Philip‟s death, Joanna‟s mental health
deteriorated further, though she again became the Queen
regnant of Castile. Coincidentally, Castile fell into a crisis
aggravated by a plague. Despite the political instability at
that time, Joanna‟s chief concern was to travel throughout
the kingdom with Philip‟s dead carcass. Despite many
objections, Joanna repeatedly refused to be separated
from her husband‟s body and abandoned her own selfcare, for example she stopped bathing and slept on the
floor.
In a new attempt to gain control of Castile,
Ferdinand traveled to Castile but could not unseat Joanna,
Figure: Portrait of Joanna by Master of Joseph
who refused to sign his proposed documents. Ferdinand
Sequence, circa 1500 Source: wikimedia.org
would become the administrator of the kingdom under his
daughter‟s regency. In 1506, he put Joanna in forced confinement at the monastery of Santa Clara in
Tordersillas. After Ferdinand‟s death, Joanna‟s son Charles would come
from Flanders to become the king of Spain. He also kept his mother
confined at the monastery until her death. Nonetheless, Joanna remained
credited as the Queen of Spain for the rest of her life. During her stay in
Santa Clara she developed paranoid ideas of being poisoned by the nuns.
After her death, she would be buried with her parents at the Royal chapel
of Granada. (1,2)
Joanna‟s mental illness has been a subject of debate across the
centuries. Some scholars even propose that Joanna did not have a mental
illness but was a naïve person who was victimized by her father and
husband in their attempts to gain control over the throne of Castile.
However, while it is likely possible that some of that happened, many
Figure: Joanna’s husband, Philip
witnesses who interacted with Joanna during her life agreed that she
the Handsome by Juan de Flandes,
suffered significant mental challenges which significantly hindered her
1500 Source: wikipedia.org
capability to effectively rein Castile.
Of course Joanna denied being mad or insane in her letter to Señor Vere (3). Lack of insight
regarding one‟s own insanity is common among individuals with mental illness. Other letters written by
Joanna indicate that she felt very deep romantic feelings for her husband Philip. While primitive
idealization is common in people during romantic states, the attempt to keep Philip‟s body and sleep with
it, impeding a proper burial suggest a bizarre behavior consistent with someone who has mental illness.
20
Figure: Patio at the monastery of Santa Clara in Tordesillas
Within the last century, several
(1363) where Joanna spent confined most of her life has a Mudejar
architecture influenced by Islamic Art. Source: wikipedia.org
scholars have attempted to elucidate what was
Joanna‟s
diagnosis
by
using
modern
psychiatric nosology. While retrospective
diagnosis is usually very difficult, in the
absence of other methodologies we will for
this purpose have to rely on it. Nevertheless,
extreme caution must be taken and the fact
that a definitive diagnosis is not possible must
be assumed. (5)
Using the biopsychosocial model (6) to understand Joanna‟s problem. It is known that her
maternal grandmother, Isabella of Portugal was also forced in confinement by her stepson at the Arevalo
Castle in Castile due to her mental struggles. Therefore, it is likely that Joanna inherited vulnerable genes.
From a psychological perspective, Joanna was the daughter of two busy monarchs who spent most of
their marital lives separated. Her mother Isabella had multiple duties as Queen regnant of Castile at a time
that the Kingdom was expanding with the ending of the Reconquista and during the funding of naval
companies that led to the discovery of the New Continent. It is possible that Joanna did not somehow
receive the necessary attention from her mother in her
childhood, leading to a conflictive relationship that
was evident by the altercation at the time of her
mother‟s death.
Also, Joanna had to grieve the
premature deaths of her brothers and sister, in
addition to the death of her mother. Furthermore, the
death of her beloved husband Philip The Handsome is
thought to have contributed to the deterioration of her
mental health. From a more sociological point of
view, Joanna was obviously raised in an environment
of much wealth. However, after the deaths of her
older brothers, she unexpectedly became the heiress
of Castile, which could have been very stressful
Figure: Joanna’s son Charles V would inherit the
kingdoms of Spain with Naples, Sicily, Sardegna and
considering her documented naïve character.
This
could have also aggravated her mental health. After
the New Continent, The Low Countries, Austria and
the Holy Roman Empire. He would leave his mother
her father secluded her in the monastery of Santa
in confinement at Santa Clara. Painting: Charles V at
Clara, she was not allowed to contact anyone outside.
Muhlberg by Tizian 1549. Source: wikipedia.org
As a result she likely suffered from long term
isolation perpetuated by her son Charles.
21
If
current
we
were
psychiatric
classification
to
to
use
diagnostic
understand
Joanna‟s mental disorder, (7) a
wide
differential
included.
Several
psychiatric
should
be
traits
of
disorders
are
suggested in her biography. For
instance,
her
primitive
idealization, reckless decisions,
transient paranoia, mood swings
and at times violent behaviors
would
suggest
a
borderline
personality disorder. Joanna also
had
abnormal
eating
Figure: The Dementia of Ms. Joanna by Lorenzo Valles (1867). In XIX century,
during the Romanticism Joanna’s story became very popular in the arts.
Source:wikimedia.org
habits,
which could be consistent with an eating disorder, something also highly comorbid in borderline
personality disorder.
While this diagnosis is possible, the fact that she experienced isolation and
confinement, her prominent negative symptoms, bizarre, reckless and dangerous behaviors with possible
delusional thinking, it is very likely that Joanna suffered from a more severe deteriorating mental illness.
Another factor that would suggest a severe disorder is the fact that the threshold for concern of mental
illness in the Renaissance was likely much higher than today, which corroborates even more our theory.
Some scholars have suggested that depression was the causation of her affliction, however, it is known
that Joanna could spend days without eating or sleeping and was often very irritable, which would be
more consistent with a bipolar rather than unipolar mood disorder. This possibility is further supported by
the fact that she had psychotic features including delusions of paranoia and jealousy. On the other hand,
while affective symptoms were very prominent during Joanna‟s life, in bipolar disorder periods of
remission of symptoms between episodes is common, something less likely in this case, since she
remained in confinement across her life and many years later her own son Charles commented that it was
dangerous to let her talk to anyone outside. Therefore, with the information that we have today, it would
be reasonable to speculate that schizophrenia with prominent affective symptoms was a likely diagnosis
for Joanna‟s mental affliction.
22
Some scholars have
viewed
mental
illness
historically as a disorder that
affected the poor, proposing a
social causation hypothesis for
mental
illness
throughout
history. However the tragic
story of Joanna The Mad is an
example
of
severe
mental
illness suffered by one person
from
a
very
high
socioeconomic class. Her story
and her later deterioration
support the drift hypothesis
rather than the social causation
Figure: Queen Joanna traveling with her husband’s carcass by Francisco
Pradilla, 1877 Source: Wikipedia.org
hypothesis for mental illness, a
theory that is more widely
supported by the psychiatric scientific community. (8,9)
References:
1. Antonio Rodriguez Villa, La Reina Doña Juana La Loca, Librería de M. Murillo, Madrid, 1892
2. Linda Andrean, Juana The Mad, Queen of a World Empire, Center for Austrian Studies, Oct.
2012
3. Jose Maria de Francisco Olmos, Estudio Documental de la Moneda Febricada de Juana La Loca
en Los Paises Bajos, Revista General de Informacion y Documentacion, Vol. 12, Num. 2 (2002),
pp. 291-321
4. http://www.cronica.com.mx/notas/2004/128323.html (Link to the letter)
5. David Fraguas, Problems with Retrospective Studies of the presence of Schizophrenia, History
of Psychiatry, 20 (1), 61-71, 2009
6. George L. Engel: The clinical application of the biopsychosocial model. Am J Psychiatry
1980;137:535-544
7. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, 5th Edition: DSM 5, American
Psychiatric Association, May, 2013
8. Michel Foucault, Histoire de la folie a l‟age classique, Plon, Paris, 1964
9. John W. Fox (1990). Social Class, Mental Illness, and Social Mobility: The Social SelectionDrift Hypothesis for Serious Mental Illness. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 31 (4): 344–
353
23
Cinema and Psychiatry
Addicted to Love: Casablanca (1942)
Vijay Mehtry, M.D., Dept. of Psychiatry, A.J. Institute of Medical Sciences, Mangalore,
India.
A kiss is still a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply, as time goes by
And when two lovers woo, they still say, “I Love You”
many transients trying to get out of Europe.
Rick, who once harbored tons of idealism, had
put himself at risk while fighting fascism in the
past. He‟s now cynical and detached as he
professes: “I stick my neck out for nobody.”
Casablanca
(1942),
directed
by
Michael Curtiz, is a quintessential American
movie depicting love and romance during
wartime. The movie is based on a stage play
“Everybody comes to Rick‟s,” by Murray
Burnett and Joan Alison. Set during the early
times of World War II, it centers on an
is
a
coastal
city
in
Morocco. Set in 1941, early part of WWII, Rick
Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), as ex-patriate is the
proprietor of a swanky night club and gambling
den
in
Casablanca
called
Rick‟s
Café
Americain. The clientele vary from refugees to
hard-core
gamblers,
from
Nazis
couriers and gets hold of letters of transit and
ends up in Rick‟s café. The papers that he has
custody now, would allow the bearer to travel
freely around German-controlled Europe as well
expatriate torn between Love and Virtue.
Casablanca
Ugarte (Peter Lorre) kills two German
to
the
Resistance, and some plain-old crooks. In
particular, this café attracted people from Nazioccupied Germany. The café was a haven for
as neutral zones like Lisbon and Portugal. It was
relatively easier for one to reach the United
States from Lisbon. Knowing the fact that these
papers are priceless to many refugees lingering
in Casablanca to get out, he plans to sell them
off and make a fortune for himself. He makes a
deal with the highest bidder who was due to
arrive at the club later that night. Unfortunately,
before the exchange, Ugarte gets arrested by a
group of policemen under the command of a
24
corrupt official who favors the Nazis, Capt.
she owes an explanation to Rick and returns to
Louis Renault (Claude Rains). Ugarte dies in
the café to explain. Rick, saddened by fact of
custody itself. However, Renault and the Nazis
her return, his wounds were reopened again,
are not aware of the fact that the papers were
gets punch drunk and bitterly refuses to listen to
previously handed over to Rick by Ugarte for
what she has to say.
safekeeping. The reason why Ugarte chose Rick
The club‟s piano player, Sam (Arthur
was absurd as he had stated, “Just because you
Dooley Wilson) is asked by Rick and Ilsa
despise me, you are the only one I trust.” So
individually to play “As Time Goes By,” a song
this movie not only depicts love which is yet to
which they loved when they were together in
come, but also on the contrary, hate.
Paris. As the song is being played, Rick
reminisces about his affair with Ilsa. Paris was
on the verge of attack by the German army and
hence both of them decide to take a train to
Southern France to escape the German army.
After hearing the news that her husband Victor
Laszlo was probably alive, she fails to turn up at
the station where Rick receives a hand written
letter from her that she can‟t explain why she
was leaving him but she loves him. So, Rick and
Sam leave without her.
Laszlo suspects that Rick has the
letters and speaks to him privately about
Then a pretty face which happens to be
obtaining them. Rick refuses to sell at any price,
Rick‟s past love interest enters into his café as
telling Laszlo to ask his wife the reason. Later
he quotes, “Of all the gin joints, in all the towns,
on, they are interrupted by a group of Nazi
in all the world, she walks into mine.” Enter Ilsa
officers following which the club had to be
Lund (Ingrid Bergman), the female protagonist
closed. Later that night, Ilsa confronts Rick in
of the movie along with her husband Victor
the deserted café. Even when threatened by a
Laszlo (Paul Henreid). Laszlo is a famous
gun, he doesn‟t oblige and refuses to handover
Czech Resistance leader who was fortunate
the papers to her. She is unable to shoot and
enough to escape from a Nazi concentration
confesses that she still loved him. He convinces
camp and is here to purchase the letters. Rick
her that she would stay back with him and hence
recalls that while in Paris, Ilsa Lund had met
decides to help Laszlo.
him for the first time and had instantaneously
On some minor charges, Laszlo is put
fallen in love with him. She believed that her
behind the bars. Rick convinces to release
husband had been killed. Unfortunately for
Laszlo, assuring to set him up for a much more
Rick, Ilsa discovered that her husband was still
serious crime of possessing the letters of transit.
alive and she left Rick abruptly without even
However, Rick not only double crosses Renault
offering an explanation to him and returns to
but also makes him assist in Laszlo‟s escape by
Laszlo. This leaves Rick betrayed. Ilsa feels that
holding him at gunpoint. Just when we start
25
thinking that Laszlo would leave and Rick
Addict (ALA) who obsesses about someone
would have Ilsa for the rest of his life, Rick
who is unavailable. This can be done without
makes Ilsa to get on the plane with her husband
acting out (suffering in silence) or by pursuing
telling her that if she stayed back she would
the person they are in love with. Some Torch
regret, “Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow,
Bearers are more addicted than others. This kind
but soon and for the rest of your life.” This
of addiction feeds on fantasies and illusions. It
betrayal of Renault by Rick ends up in the
is also known as unrequited love.
beginning of a new friendship, Renault covers
Similar to the experience of a person
up for Rick, and they plan to join the
exposed to drugs of abuse, a person who falls in
Resistance.
love also experiences powerful feelings of
Love is a complex neurobiological
reward and euphoria that lead to reinforcement
phenomenon, relying on trust, belief, pleasure
of drug-taking behavior. Addicts are also willing
and reward activities within the brain. At first,
to sacrifice in order to obtain and consume
each
be
drugs; and these self sacrificing behaviors can
accompanied by a rush of euphoria – new
also be seen in a person plagued with love as we
experiences,
detail
see in this movie where Rick aids the fleeing of
become associated with those intense feelings:
Ilsa and Laszlo even though he did not want to
places, times, object, faces, or simple musical
stick out his neck for anybody. These two
piece like A Kiss is Still a Kiss.
behaviors share more than just psychological
new
romantic
new
encounter
pleasures.
will
Every
Can love be considered an addiction?
similarities. A deep and systematic concordance
There is growing interest in the classification of
exists
certain
addictive.
neurochemicals involved in both addiction and
Commonalities between compulsive disorders
social attachment (Burkett and and Young,
and substance addiction have been identified in
2012).
behavioral
disorders
as
between
the
brain
regions
and
terms of symptomatology, neurobiochemistry
and adaptations in brain function (Shaffer, 1999;
Holden, 2001; Potenza, 2006; Leeman and
Potenza, 2012). Love is often described as an
addiction. It is a subtle and poetic metaphor that
contains seeds of truth. Romantic attachment is
rarely thought to be a pathological disorder
(Plato and Rowe, 1986; Bédier and Belloc,
2004). However, when the diagnostic criteria for
substance dependence are looked at side-by-side
with related phenomena observable in normal
human relationships, striking parallels emerge.
There are various types of love addicts which
The partner addiction hypothesis:
Both
attachment
and
addiction
have been described. One type of love addict
processes can be understood in relation to an
which Rick closely fits into us that of a Torch
object of addiction, whether that object is a
Bearer. Torch Bearer is type of Avoidant Love
26
partner (partner addiction) or a substance
Burkettand, J.P. and Young, L.J. (2012). The
(substance addiction). In the nascent phase of
behavioral,
addiction, large amounts of sensory information
pharmacological parallels between social
attachment,
are gathered about the object of addiction. In
substance addiction, this applies to the sensory
modalities appropriate for the drug: the taste and
smell; the particular experience unique to the
drug; and the context in which the drug is taken.
anatomical
love
and
and
addiction.
Psychopharmacology (Berl), 224(1):1–26.
Holden,
C.
(2001).
Compulsive
Behaviors:
“Behavioral‟ Addictions: Do They Exist?
Science, 294:980–982.
Koob, G.F. and Zorrilla, E.P. (2010). Neurobiological
With partner addiction, this information is
Mechanisms
primarily social: looks, touches, words, scents,
Corticotropin-Releasing Factor. Curr Opin
the shape of the body and face, and possibly
Investig Drugs, 11:63–71.
sexual experiences (Burkett and and Young,
Probably, human love is the most
powerful of all emotions. The psychology of
Focus
on
Leeman, R.F. and Potenza, M.N. (2012). Similarities
and
2012).
of Addiction:
Differences
between
Pathological
Gambling and Substance Use Disorders: A
Focus on Impulsivity and Compulsivity.
Psychopharmacol (Berl), 219:469–490.
human love and drug addiction share powerful
Minozzi, S., Amato, L., Vecchi, S., Davoli, M.,
overlaps at virtually every level of the addictive
Kirchmayer, U., Verster, A. (2011). Oral
process, from initial encounters to withdrawal.
Naltrexone Maintenance Treatment for
There are observations which suggest that
Opioid Dependence. Cochrane Database
treatments used to reduce cravings may be
Syst Rev: CD001333.
effective in treating grief from loss of a loved
one or a bad break-up (O‟Malley et al., 1992;
Volpicelli et al., 1992; Koob and Zorrilla, 2010;
Minozzi et al., 2011). Data also provide
O‟Malley, S.S., Jaffe, A.J., Chang, G., Schottenfeld,
R.S., Meyer, R.E., Rounsaville, B. (1992).
Naltrexone and Coping Skills Therapy for
Alcohol Dependence. A Controlled Study.
Arch Gen Psychiatry, 49:881–887.
evidence for the theory that social attachment
Plato and Rowe, C.J. (1986). editors. Phaedrus. Aris
systems governing maternal bonding and pair
& Phillips; Warminster, Wiltshire, England
bonding to a mating partner are subverted by
Atlantic Highlands, N.J. Distributed in the
drugs of abuse to create addictions that are just
U.S.A. and Canada by Humanities Press
as powerful as natural attachments. To make it
lucid, we may be addicted to the ones we love.
Shaffer, H.J. (1999). Strange Bedfellows: A Critical
View
of
Pathological
Gambling
and
Addiction. Addiction, 94:1445–1448.
References:
Bédier, J. and Belloc, H. (2004). The Romance of
Tristan and Iseult. Dover Publications;
Mineola, NY.
Volpicelli, J.R., Alterman, A.I., Hayashida, M.,
O‟Brien, C.P. (1992). Naltrexone in the
Treatment of Alcohol Dependence. Arch
Gen Psychiatry, 49:876–880.
Source of pics: IMD
27
Cronenberg’s “The Fly” and its parallels with Kafka’s
“Metamorphosis”
Fernando Espi Forcen, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago
“The Fly” by David Cronenberg
to develop personality changes too. Later he
(1984) narrates the story of Seth Brundle, a
cheats on Veronica with a girl he meets in a bar.
famous
a
He becomes more arrogant and ego centered
revolutionary teletransportation technique with
and accuses Veronica of being jealous of him.
the use of telepods. Early in the film, Seth meets
After his nails fall, he understands there might
Veronica, a journalist for Particle Magazine
be something wrong with him. Doing some
whose editor is Veronica‟s former lover Boran.
research within his operating system, he
Veronica is assigned to write a paper about
discovers that a fly was in the telepod during his
Seth‟s scientific discoveries for the magazine.
transportation and the system fused both Seth‟s
Seth shows her his new experiment. So far he
and the fly‟s DNA.
scientist
who
has
designed
has been successful to teletransport inanimate
objects but an earlier trial with a living being (a
monkey) was catastrophic.
Figure:
Figure: Seth and Veronica Source: rackcdn.com
Brundlefly
and
Veronica
Source:
photobucket.com
Soon, Seth and Veronica begin a
Seth begins to metamorphose into
romantic relationship which infuriates Boran.
something not human, a being that he calls
Then led by jealousy Boran decides to publish
Brundlefly. Veronica realizes that she is
some of the secret information Seth had shared
pregnant and not knowing if she got pregnant
with Veronica. In the meantime, Seth manages
before or after Seth‟s fusion with the fly, she
to teletransport a baboon and frustrated that he
asks Boran to help her arrange an abortion in the
cannot celebrate his success with Veronica, he
middle of the night. Brundlefly overheard the
thus tries the telepod on himself. After that, Seth
conversation during Veronica‟s last visit and
soon realizes he is changing. He notices an
abducts her before the abortion takes place.
unusual strength and other physical skills. Seth
Boran follows them into the apartment and once
believes that these changes are related to
he gets in, Brundlefly corrodes his hand and
purifying properties of the telepod but he starts
foot with his saliva.
28
the floor crying and grieving the death of her
partner. The dramatic ending of “The Fly” is
perhaps one of the most moving moments in the
history of American cinema.
Figure: Brandlefly fully transformed
Source: moviemedia.ign.com
Brundlefly reveals his plan to fuse
Veronica, the baby and himself into a new
being. Right before his plan is about to be
carried, Boran is able to shoot at the cable
telepod containing Veronica. Brundlefly tries to
Figure: In glimpse of humanity, Brundlefly
fused with the telepod will ask Veronica to
shoot him in the head. Source: wordpress.com
leave but does not have enough time and the
The parallels between Cronenberg‟s
system fuses Brundlefly with elements of the
The Fly and Kafka‟s metamorphosis are pretty
telepod. Then, new creature resulting from
evident. Similarly to Seth Brundle‟s story, in
Brundlefly, cables and metallic elements leaves
Kafka‟s novel, Gregor Samsa turns into a giant
the third telepod. At this moment, Brundlefly
insect and has to learn how to live with his new
understands that he cannot leave like that any
nature with the consequent embarrassment of
more and in a lucid moment of humanity signs
his family members. After he dies, his loved
Veronica to shoot him in the head. Veronica is
ones will experience similar mixed symptoms of
initially hesitant but agrees to do it to alleviate
grief and relief.
her lover‟s suffering, after that she crashes on
29
Letters to the Editor
Re: The Genesis of Psychology
16 February 2014
Dear Sir
In
your
Editor's
note
'Towards
Humanism in Psychosis' (Vol. 2/Iss.1, Winter,
Is there a common origin for Greek
psykhe and Latin spiritus?
2014) you wrote: 'Etymologically, “psychosis”
____________________
comes from the Greekword “psyche” (soul) and
“-osis” (abnormality).' This is indeed correct,
insofar as it goes.
I had been reviewing the etymology of
the word „spiritual‟ and would like to share
‫ עָ פָ ר‬,‫ָאדם‬
ָ ָ‫ה‬-‫ֹלהים אֶ ת‬
ִּ ֱ‫"וַ יִּ יצֶ ר יְ הוָ ה א‬
;‫ ִּנ ְ מַ ת חַ יִּ ים‬,‫ וַ יִּ פַ ח בְ אַ פָ יו‬,‫הָ אֲ ָדמָ ה‬-‫ִּמן‬
".‫ ְ נֶפֶ חַ יָה‬,‫ָאדם‬
ָ ָ‫וַ יְ ִּהי ה‬
some of my findings which seem pertinent to
Then the Lord God formed man of the
the origins of the word 'psychology'.
‫יִּפַ ח‬
into his nostrils the breath )ְ‫ נִּשמ(ת‬of
life; and man became a living soul ֶ‫ נֶפ‬.'
dust of the ground, and breathed
In Greek psychein means to blow or to
breathe, which later gave us psyche and hence
psychology. The Online Etymology Dictionary
notes that in Greek psykhe means '"the soul,
(2)
mind, spirit; breath; life, one's life, the invisible
animating principle or entity which occupies
and directs the physical body; understanding"
In this Hebrew extract from Genesis,
)‫ נפש‬,‫ נשמה‬, ‫ )יפח‬are central to
(personified as Psykhe, the beloved of Eros),
three words
akin to psykhein "to blow, cool"...The word had
the Ancient Hebrews' concept of the creation of
extensive
Platonic
life. This extract will also help us to understand
philosophy and Jewish-influenced theological
the genesis of the words spirituality and
writing of St. Paul. (The) meaning, "human
psychology.
soul"
is
sense
from
development
1650s.
In
in
English,
(the)
psychological sense "mind," is attested by
1910"' (1).
In most English bible translations the
Hebrew words yipach (‫ )יפח‬and neshama
)‫ (נשמה‬are translated the same – 'to breathe'.
In Latin to breathe is rispare, which
This cannot be accurate, since they are different
eventually produced the word, spirit. Latin
Hebrew words. Yipach (‫ )יפח‬has a connotation
spiritus means "breathing (respiration, and of
the wind), breath; breath of a god" (1). Similarly
the expression 'to expire' (as in, to die) literally
means to breath out ones (last) breath.
of inflating or expanding, just as would occur
when the lungs are filled with air. In modern
Hebrew this word gives rise to uses such as:
swollen legs, blowing up a balloon, and a
30
person with an over-inflated image of himself (a
These mistranslations have given rise
swollen ego). I suggest transitive verbs such as
to misconceptions – sometimes accidental, and
'to blow', 'to distend' or 'to inflate' would be
at other times maybe driven by theological
more precise in conveying the biblical meaning.
doctrine.
When
the
Old
Testament
was
Neshama, (‫ (נשמה‬in modern Hebrew,
translated into Greek and then Latin their
means the soul. This is derived from the verb
respective words for 'to breathe' took on the dual
linshom, which means to breathe. However in
meanings
the context of the Biblical passage it means the
attributes.
of
physical
and
non-physical
soul and not to breath, and relies on yipach to
The ArtScroll Stone Edition in my
describe inflating the erstwhile lifeless body
view most accurately translates the Hebrew:
with the spirit of life. It is the breath of life, as
'And God formed the man of dust from the
when a newborn baby takes its first gasp of air,
ground, and blew [yipach (‫ ])יפח‬into his
and the soul becomes animated. Cardio-
nostrils the soul [neshama )‫ [(נשמה‬of life; and
pulmonary resuscitation is a good medical
man became a living being [nefesh (‫])נפש‬.' (3)
metaphor. There is not only an attempt to inflate
Thus it would seem that psyche and
and distend yipach (‫ )יפח‬the lungs through the
spirit are related albeit through a picturesque
oro-nasal airways, but also a desire to save the
image in the Old Testament. This anticipates the
person's soul neshama
)‫ ( נשמה‬.
Thus 'the
notion that at some level religion and psychiatry
breath (yipach) of life (neshama)' is the
are related in that both deal with invisible
intangible evanescent aspect of life. It is without
forces.
substance just as a breath or the wind cannot be
touched nor directly seen. Wind (differential of
I am,
air pressure) is seen only indirectly by its effects
on the visible physical world.
Sincerely yours,
This is contrasted with the third coreword of the biblical passage – nefesh (‫)נפש‬.
Nefesh refers to the tangible aspects of life we
can touch or feel. One can hold flesh, touch
Simon Wein MD
Pain and Palliative Care Service, Davidoff
Cancer Center, Petach Tikva, Israel
[email protected]
blood, and feel breath. Nefesh probably does not
refer to the soul, as the soul is understood today.
Any living thing – animal or human (and
according to some commentators, plants) – has
a nefesh. Of interest is that neshama (soul)
described life in the plural hence referring to the
abstract concept - whereas nefesh (a living
being) addresses a single life, emphasizing the
1. Online
Etymology
Dictionary
(http://www.etymonline.com/)
2. Old Testament, Genesis 2:7; King
James
Translation
and
Jewish
Publication Society
3. Old Testament, Genesis 2:7; ArtScroll
Stone Edition
idea of a living being.
31
Future Issues
-
Summer Issue 2014: Music and Dance
-
Autumn Issue 2014: Aggression
For further information contact the editor Fernando Espi Forcen at [email protected] or
[email protected]
32